What a Turnaround!
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: An Art-trade with ProbableImpossibilities. – When Astral woke up that morning, he didn't expect to end up being the unfortunate victim [cough] ally to one 'Yuma Something-Something.'


Zexal Oneshot

What A Turnaround!

Astral, Yuma

An Art-trade with ProbableImpossibilities. – When Astral woke up that morning, he didn't expect to end up being the unfortunate victim [cough] ally to one 'Yuma Something-Something.'

(I do not own anything in this here story.)

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What A Turnaround!

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_Observation Journal Entry #257: I have recently been beset by a strange being called "Yuma." He claims to have an important mission to fulfill, but appears to have forgotten it. For now, he settles for giving me bad dueling advice and being a general annoyance. He does not sleep, but stays up all hours of the night watching the Dueling Network on TV, and during my classes, he complains about how boring/stupid/difficult the work is (even though he is not the one doing it). It is a bit difficult that others cannot see him, but then again, I would never wish this bothersome loudmouth upon anyone else. _

Astral closed his journal and let out a sigh, his jaw propped up against his palm.

"Were you writing in that book thing of yours again, Astral?"

Astral cast his gaze upward.

Just his luck. That alien had yet to leave him. He was still grinning that stupid grin of his and obviously begging for a duel with his eyes.

Not that he was getting one. Astral was done for the day.

"I was," Astral answered. "I am finished now."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Cool! Can we go find somebody to duel now?!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it is late," Astral answered. "And I am done dueling for today."

"No wonder you can't Kattobingu right."

Astral stared. Yuma even began to float upside down as the silence filled his entire bedroom. "Would you stop doing that?" he asked.

"Stop doing what?"

"Floating upside down."

Yuma shrugged, then floated over Astral's bed.

Astral didn't really seem to like that idea, but kept it at that. So instead, he returned to his journal and added another entry.

_Observation Journal Entry #258: Yuma's habit of floating over random items when suffering from boredom can be rather annoying._

* * *

"I know I'm supposed to do something super important," Yuma said to himself, floating over Astral's head as he headed for school. "I know it. I know it. I know it. Why can't I remember?" He banged his head with the heel of his hand and groaned. "Gah! Why can't I remember!?"

"Perhaps it has something to do with your habit of giving yourself a concussion," Astral said, going through his deck with a scrutinizing eye. "It might help if you stopped."

"You think so?" Yuma sounded happy.

Astral looked over his own shoulder.

Yuma tucked his hand under his arm. "What did I have to do? What was my mission?" His arms trembled slightly as he tried to fight against the rising urge. "I know it was super important, but I can't remember. GAH!" His hands freed themselves from their prisons and Yuma proceeded to smack his head again. "I just can't remember! I can't remember a thing!"

Astral stared. "You do not seem to be listening." He then pulled an Xyz monster out of his deck.

Number 39: Hope.

He was just barely able to read what was written in the description, but he didn't trust his own translation. He held it up to Yuma. "What does this say?"

Yuma read it over really quick. "I dunno."

"You gave it to me when you arrived. Would you not know what it says?"

"I don't remember why I gave it to you in the first place," Yuma said with a shrug. "Sorry."

Astral paused, then slid it back into his deck. "Is there anything you remember that would assist me in understanding this card then?"

Yuma looked over Astral's shoulder.

"He looks totally awesome."

* * *

Astral's point remained the same. Yuma wasn't listening.

Until they got involved in a duel, in any case.

And not just any duel. In fact, Astral was seriously wondering how he got involved in it in the first place.

Ryoga Kamishiro. The roughest, toughest Duelist on that side of the Heartland City walls. Most kids avoided him because of his deadly dueling skills, and the few who did face him regretted it.

Especially recently. He had only grown more ruthless since Yuma first appeared, wielding some unusual monster. Yuma, being Yuma, just wanted to duel. Any warning went in one ear and out the other.

Then Ryoga set his sights on Astral and his Number 39: Hope.

Of course.

* * *

How the duel had gotten out of control, Astral could not say. Had he been listening to the terrible advice Yuma had been giving him, he'd have blamed him, but that just wasn't the case. It wasn't Yuma's fault. And Astral was pretty sure it wasn't his own fault either.

It was the fault of the demon that appeared on the field.

[Ryoga: 2000 LP Astral: 500 LP]

"I overlay level 3 Big Jaws and Kraken!" Ryoga shouted.

The creatures of the water fell into the overlay network and exploded into thousands of crystal lights. "Xyz Shoukan!"

Astral covered his face as the monster began to appear, wind whipping at his arms and tearing at his hair.

"Arewarero! Number 17! Leviathan Dragon!"

The monster then ripped itself out of the overlay network and roared.

The number '17' flashed in a light purple on both the monster as well as Ryoga's hand.

[Leviathan Dragon – Rank 3. 2000 ATK, 0 DEF]

Astral took a small step back. "What?!" he exclaimed. "Another Number monster?!"

Suddenly, Yuma smacked his fist against his palm. "That's it!" he shouted. "I remember now!" He pointed at the dragon. "I've gotta collect all those things!"

"You have to collect Number cards?" Astral asked.

"Yeah! Maybe we can ask him for it?"

Astral sighed. "He will not just give us that Number card."

"Why won't he? After the duel, we can just ask him nicely."

Astral wasn't going to continue to explain. Yuma wasn't going to get it.

"Number 17 attacks your defense position monster!" Ryoga declared. "Vice STREAM!"

The dragon reeled his head back, power bubbling near his teeth. Then he launched it forward, shattering the monster Astral played face-down; his only monster as well as defense. Fortunately, Number 17 was Ryoga's only monster as well, so his lifepoints were still untouched.

For now.

He drew his card and looked it over.

Gogogo Golem.

"Ooh! Ooh! Summon that in attack mode and play Blustering Winds!" Yuma said. "That way, we'll be able to get rid of Leviathan Dragon and take a bite out of Ryoga's life points."

"It would be no more than a nibble," Astral said simply. "Besides, I do not know what kind of abilities that dragon may have in store." He threw Gogogo Golem onto the field.

But not in attack mode.

He placed it in facedown defense mode.

Yuma pouted. "You're not gonna win just playing defense, you know," he said.

"What else would you expect me to do?" Astral asked. "I cannot attack if I do not know what he may have in store."

"But that's what Kattobingu is all about! Knowing the risks and doing it anyway!"

Astral glanced upward. He spoke not a single word, rather, he turned back to the field.

And towards his enemy.

"I end my turn."

Ryoga chuckled darkly. "I draw!" he declared, ripping his card from his deck.

He flipped his card over so he could better see what it was.

Then he grinned madly. "First, I activate Leviathan Dragon's ability! By discarding one overlay unit, I can increase his power by five-hundred points!"

Leviathan Dragon's scales rippled and glowed as his power increased.

[2000 → 2500 ATK]

"Next, I play the spell card, Surface!"

Big Jaws reappeared on the field; the overlay unit he'd sent to the grave.

"Now, Big Jaws, attack his facedown monster!"

Gogogo Golem was revealed from underneath his card, his beefy arms held up to defend.

"When in defense mode," Astral revealed, "Gogogo Golem cannot be destroyed in battle once per turn."

Ryoga chuckled. "That's only gonna save you for one turn. Leviathan Dragon! Attack Gogogo Golem! Vice STREAM!"

The dragon obeyed.

Golem was destroyed.

"Okay, that's not good," Yuma reported.

"I end my turn," Ryoga said. "Go ahead and make your move, Astral."

Astral gritted his teeth and looked at his hand.

Blustering Winds, Gagaga Magician, Double or Nothing. And he hadn't even drawn yet.

"This isn't looking good," Yuma said. "What are we gonna do!?"

"You can calm down first," Astral suggested, pulling a card from his deck.

Monster Reborn.

Yuma's eyes lit up. "THAT'S IT!" he shouted.

Astral had to cover his ears. "Yuma!"

"Sorry. I was just thinking-"

"I know what you were thinking." Astral looked at his card. "I was thinking the same thing as well."

"Summoning Hope?"

Astral sighed. Was there anything else he could do in this situation? To defend meant to lose.

And he was not ready to lose. Especially not with a kid floating over his head, worrying about whether or not he'd disappear.

Time to put up a fight.

"I play the spell, Monster Reborn!"

Gogogo Golem reappeared on the field.

[Gogogo Golem. Lv 4. 1800 ATK, 1500 DEF]

"Next, I summon Gagaga Magician!"

The second monster promptly appeared, chains rattling as he stared his opponent down.

[Gagaga Magician. Lv. 4. 1500 ATK, 1000 DEF]

"That's it!" Yuma exclaimed. "That's the way to duel!"

Astral didn't speak up. He had his mind on other things. "I overlay Gagaga Magician and Gogogo Golem!" he declare, allowing the two monsters to enter the overlay network. "Xyz SHOUKAN!"

His Extra Deck began to glow and Hope's card flew from its place within. "Arewarero, Number 39: Hope!"

The great warrior then took to the field, his sword dangling from his belt.

[Number 39: Hope – Rank 4. 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF]

"Alright!" Yuma shouted. "Kattobingu!"

"You're gonna have to do better than a measly 2500 if you want to win, Astral," Ryoga. "Even attacking Big Jaws won't stop me."

"I have no intention of attacking Big Jaws," Astral said simply, throwing his hand forward. "I attack Leviathan Dragon!"

Hope leapt into the air, ripping his sword from it's sheathe.

"Have you lost it!?" Ryoga laughed in disbelief. "That's gotta be the worst move you could make!"

"Uh uh," went Yuma.

"Now, I activate Hope's special ability," Astral continued. "By discarding one overlay unit, I can negate one attack. I choose Hope! Moon Barrier!"

His left wing became like a shield and he himself jumped back.

Ryoga would have laughed at the strategy had Astral not quickly continued with, "Now, I play the quick-play spell, Double or Nothing from my hand. When my monster's attack has been negated, he can attack again with his attack points doubled!"

[Hope – 2500 ATK → 5000 ATK]

Ryoga paled as he watched the monster's attack repeat itself. Only this time, he did not stop.

He sliced through Leviathan's scales as if they were butter, felling the dragon with a single slash.

The monster then exploded, throwing Ryoga back to the ground, his life points dropping to zero.

"That's Kattobingu for ya!" Yuma exclaimed, pumping his hands in the air.

"I suppose," Astral admitted. "Do you not have to get that card?"

"Oh. Right." Yuma then held his hand out, beckoning Leviathan Dragon to come to him.

It obeyed with little resistance. The number on Ryoga's hand then shattered like glass, freeing him from its corrupted influence.

With the card now in his hand, Yuma examined it with a scrutinizing eye. "This little thing really made Shark go cuckoo?" he asked.

"I hope it was only 'that little thing,'" Astral said. "I have no desire to go through that again."

The card vanished from Yuma's hand and he blinked. "There are 100 Numbers," he reported.

"Hmm?"

"My job is to collect all hundred. And with every Number, I get back a memory."

"How do you know that?"

"Leviathan Dragon just told me. I think."

Astral blinked.

"Hey!" went Yuma with a grin. "Why don't we work together to get the rest of those Numbers!?"

"What?"

"Think about it. You need some Kattobingu and I need those Numbers. It'll get two Goblindberghs with one Dark Hole."

"That is not the saying."

"It's close enough. Whaddaya say?"

Astral turned his head away and gave it some thought.

_Observation Journal Entry #259: It would appear that the one called Yuma has begun to regain his memory of his mission. The only problem is regaining his memories demands we hunt more Numbers. With only two in our possession and 98 more to go, I see that it shall be quite some time before I am free of his annoying presence. But as I have previously stated, I would not wish this bothersome loudmouth upon anyone else."_

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**D.T.B: And that's a wrap. For this art-trade, ProbableImpossibilities requested an AU on a picture she did, which had Astral and Yuma's roles flipped around. This was what I was able to pull out of my magic hat. Hope you liked it. :)**


End file.
